Nuclear Receptors in Energy Metabolism

Nuclear receptors are master regulators of energy metabolism through the conversion of extracellular signals into gene expression signatures. The function of the respective nuclear receptor is tissue specific, signal and co-factor dependent. While normal nuclear receptor function is central to metabolic physiology, aberrant nuclear receptor signaling is linked to various metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, or hepatic steatosis. Thus, the tissue specific manipulation of nuclear receptors is a major field in biomedical research and represents a treatment approach for metabolic syndrome. This chapter focuses on key nuclear receptors involved in regulating the metabolic function of liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and pancreatic β-cells. It also addresses the importance of nuclear co-factors for fine-tuning of nuclear receptor function. The mode of action, role in energy metabolism, and therapeutic potential of prominent nuclear receptors is outlined.